Locomotive fire-door fastener



May 27, 1930. c. H. BILTY 1,759,382

' .LOGOHOTIVE FIRE DOOR FASTENER Filed July 9, i928 311 Figure 1 illustra Patented May 27; 1930 owns 3. BILTY', 'OF M1LWAVUKEE, WISCONSIN v LocomorIvE FIRE-DOOR EASTENER Application filed July 9, 1928. Serial No. 291,239.

My invention relates to an automatic fastening device for mechanical firebox doors, p namely an automatic latch especially I intended formanually operated firebox-doors. I 5 The object of my inventionisto provide a safety fastening devicewhich will prevent improper opening ofthe firebox door through any unforseen pressure or conditionswithin 'the firebox, as for example the sudden release of pressure resulting from aburst flue, or arch tubeJ With firebox door-latches as .at

1 present in use; the pressure within the firebox, resulting from the bursting of a flue or arch tube, is often suflicient tothrow or blow the firebox door open, endangering the lives of the engine crew and causing the crew to be :2 cheap to' manufacture "and, which may f be readily: applied to the fireboxfdoors f loco-I motives'nowin use with verylittle-expense;

. thelocking and unlocking operations being efiected/through proper. movement of the if usualfirebox door handle. Y x

The objects and advantagesof-myf inven- -tion will all be readily'comprehended from the detailed description-of the accompanying drawing, wherein:' I f 'tes a locomotive' firebox door in elevation and provided'withmy improved safetylocking mechanism in ajlockedv 1 position;

Figure 21s adetailtop planjview' 'of a pertion of the-free end ofthe door, its operating.

: handle and aportion of mysafety lock.

f Figure 3 is afdetailsectional view .--ta'ken substantially on 1 the line "3+3 of; Figure 1 {looking in'thedire'ction'of the arrows. l v

Figur'e, 4 is a detail secti'onalgview taken "substantially ;on the line of-Figur'e 1 looking in the direction of'thej'arrows. j :In-th'e particular'exemplification o'f'the in- =-vention as disclosed in; the drawing where 'my improved safety device isshown'applied I trap or member 29' disposed vertically,f"or

to a locomotive firebox door, the. usual door frame is shown at 10 provided with the hinge:

pin receiving lugs 11,11, apertured to receive the hinge pin 12 which "also passes.

through the apertured door-lugs orf straps 13, 5 p

13, which extend beyond one side or end of the firebox door 14. The door 14;.is of general construction, being provided with the usual rotatable vent or air admitting shutter at 15 which may be rotated. on the pin 16 which latter also constitutesthe pivot point p for the'usu'al door-handle 17 i p The handle 17 extends transversely of the door, with one end having astoplug 18 which locks the doorin fullopen-position to prevent the door swinging to closed position by the swaying of the locomotive during firing operations; The handle is'provided'with the extended hand grasping end or loop which forms latching engagement withfthe latch 20 The latch ;membier 20 comprises an outwardly disposed-arm or post provided with suitable grooves or slots see Figure 2," 1 adapted to receive the, lQWer longitudinal edge of the handle. I a V The elements thus far described are of the usualconstruction so that furtherdetailed de- I scriptionneed not be entered into.

. -,-The hand grasping end 19.:of the door han- 'dle17 is'shown eyeletted or formed in thelna- V ture of a 'loop,'see Figure 2,-andis-provided Q With an elongated link 21'of predetermined.

lengthandinter-linked withthevloop portion 19 of the handle 17 so-as topermit the link 21 toffreely ridejor slid u w r and dqw j I i i I wardly, as'i's apparent from Figure 1-. -v p The link} 21 constitutes the--lowerQend,-or

' link of a chain, shownin'partjat 22 in Figure 1;with the intermediatelink 23,;namely the i 7 link which is connectedtotheelongated link 99 F21jarr anged in operative relation, with La} S fastener member Z 24;." a

'The member 24 consists. of a'platebifur-g I cated at'one' end; .with the one bifurcation 257' pivotally mounted on bolt or rivet 26 secured to the Fdoor;14-.;Iwhile *the other" orflo'wer r' g v bifurcation 27 is adapted to pass {beneath the" vpost or pin" portion "28. -This post or pin 28 pi may? constitute'an integral p'art'ofa'guide 'snbstentially sopendsuitably secured to the door 14: byth'e bolts 01' rivet 26 and by swag ing or riveting the endsoi the posts or pins 28 and'30, as shown in Figure' l. By formthe guide-29 will "be maintained in spaced re ing :the posts 28 and 30 integral with the.

guide-strap 29, as shown, it is apparent that Q lation-witjh the deona distence'sufficient t'o permit free entry of the bifnreation27 of the "fi18mb6r 24 between-guide Strap or 1313;118:729; andthe door '14.; The lower parser 'p'infiO will also prevent the hand grasping end lfiof the handle 17 dropping down too far when out ofcontact-"With latch 20. 1. 1

.'The free or on'ter en'd of'rnenibei shown provided with an apertnred lug 31 througliwhioh intermediate link '23 passes:

r LinkQQ," which may b80 1 anysuitehle size end shape, "constitutes the hand grasping end;

or link when. :itiisi desired 'to operate the 1 mechanism namely when'tlie firebox door is withzthe;elongated-member'24 pivoted "at one end, namely the upper b ifurcation 25" ,;pivota-lly mounted on the boltor' rivet 263'it isfappa'rent that 'ine'm-berfl l will'swing about the rivet 26 when-raised the operator pull- I 7, ing upwaiidl'yon' theehain consisting of links 22, 23am 21,. thus causing the lower bifurfmay'seat in-agr oove ofthelnteh member 20. I ltgfwill be understood that the'rnember 24" nation 27 to move out "of straddling relation 7 with p111 orstnd 28 of guide 1ne1nher-29 The uide member 29;,is disposed across "the door:

and-1e 17 andisso formedtha-t the handle z i s olfrra nged inthe samevertieal plane as the 2 immediately ceasin "the shortiiiiter ie liate" ink-23 to raisefi the freejenc'l'ao-l"Inernben24, thereby Swinging itsflqif li'reation" 27 m; fof -the* spaoe intermediateof the pin 0 post 28 and'thedoorhandleil'l As the lower flin'k? 1f:

, fn'io've'ine'nt' nieniber fl will oecurbefore the slower end*o lon'gjlink21 comes into-operating 5 relation. with the lodp end 19 'ofthe, door-hen 11617;with theresnlt that lifting'lof the, door handle 17 outv of vthe g iooveor ire'ce'ss iii-"the 1 'do'or handle 1'7; and 'the distance between the top ofi handle17and the pin or post 280i 1 gnid'e-inember orstrap 29, withfthe hand1e'17 in the 'groove of latch member 20 is' just sufficient to receive the lower bifurcation 27 1 of member 24, asshown in Figure 4 so that u ward movementfo'f thedoor handle 1 7 out -othegooveinlatchjxnemloer2(1'isin1possilole operator pulls.upwMdlTonflink -22,

latch meni'beif20 will on1ytatke plaee alfterthe member has n 'ove'd'into unlocking posi 1mg fleshed tof close'the door J 2.;iA a locomotive fire {door I, V prising; inxeornb'ination withithe ih rizonpany" fdisfposedhandleiof=the1fireb0x=d0orpivoted to is elongated as show .7 I p s parentvthat, by gradually lowering meet-am link 2lgwilllallow the handle 17. to V rop V theigroovefotletch ;rneniher .20 he -j zioiqthe short? link 23 permits "member fl t/to a'allyiplisposed xj l sionra d meansop 1y. connected with; the extension -ofasa'id mm; her an j;b aving.e y dingccz m tionjvit the swing downwardly end permit the lower bifureation QTto enter the recess abovethe door 1 handle 17. With the 'memberflt constructed! V and pivoted as shown and deserihed it is ob 7 I vious that this 11191111361124: will swing into locking" position through the action of gravity '7 As "is a parem fmmthe constriiction,.'ac- 5 i ;lidentalope11i11g of'thefirebox dooris imi piosslble eslong as" themeinber 24: is in looking position and thedztngers heretofore en out alteration intheir presentconstrnction" struo'ti'on shown to be the simplest adaptation,

oi' my invention;-

- Ielaimis: 1. A locomotivefire gdoori f-astener f eoinprising, ineonibination with the-pivoted her i i'zonta'lly disposed handle ofthe-r fireboxdoor,

horizontally d-isposedmember? arranged above seidhandle end pivotel ly mOtlntedkat' one of its ends an d :aboveits horizontal axis its pivot point, so es to position the free end of the member in' parallel contacting relation with-the door'handle, andmeans having Opel: f i

ati-ve relation, With the Y member yielding 1 'Vop'e-rative relation withthe door wherebysalid nien b'er is swung upwardly out oiloehingpo-sition in 'advane ofi novernentg "O -the door handle; a

swing verti :ally, an elongated .membenpivob ally ,mou-nte'd at: one; end on fthesdoorvaiblove the handlein the "vertical path foftheiihendle and inormallysresting iithereonzsaidilmember 'iheing freetoniove independently otfthe hair? I idlei andmeztnsnonneeted withitheifree endof T with the door han dle :wherebyfu'pwar 'piill dle in-advance of movement OfthehendIeL loeomotive fireg doon-iaistener comp l 7 fling- 571b ieo'mbinatlo n j with the horizontally' lm T disposed pivoted handle of thekfiielgOX ido,

ia member pivoted to thefloor,iabovesaidfhem I idleflt'o swing vertically; 0, at. ofi'th th bf th p .handle; with a;jportionfoif' thefineniber iio -V mally -c'lepen'ding"betweenthe pivot point em- 125' the handle so eseto hold the 1atter:jagei-rist511p,- ward movement; said meniberzhavinga later;-

eti jv b5 to automatically"swing into position below a said member a and having ;yie1d=ing .conneetion o V V i H7 V on iseld means Wl'll C8.U.S9 heardmember-t0 i swingvertieallyzout:ofleontact withithe'han handle so as to move the member in advance of the handle in the door opening operation and vice versa in the door closing operation.

4. A locomotive fire door fastener comprising, in combination with the tiltably v 'mounted door handle, a gravity controlled member pivoted on the firebox door in the upward path of the handle so as to be normally disposed betweenits pivot point and the handle to hold the latter against unlatching movement, and means having operative connection with the member and a yielding connection with said handle whereby the memberis swung through a vertically disposed arc out of the upward path .o-f'the handlein advance of movement of said handle.

5. A locomotive fire door fastener comprising, in combination with ahinged firebox door provided with a vertically moving pivoted 23 handle, an automatic fastener consisting of an elongated member disposed lengthwise above the handle and pivotally mounted at one end on the door,'a vertical guide member forthe handleand said member whereby the handle 25 and member are maintained in vertical align-Q ment and means having operative connection with the outer free end of the member and yielding operativerelation with the handle whereby swinging upward movement of the member is induced in advance of the handle in the door opening operation and the handle permitted to move into latching positionin advance of movement of the member. into fastening position in the door closing operation. a v V CHARLES BILTY. v 

